Concert: Mica Paris at Fairfield Halls, Croydon (From Croydon Guardian)

Concert: Mica Paris at Fairfield Halls, Croydon

7:20am Friday 4th September 2009 in

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For the last decade Mica Paris has had her fingers in just about every media pie available, but she's finally back to the one she loves best, recording music.

Born Again, released in June, is her first original offering in 10 years and her accompanying UK tour is her first since 1993 after time spent presenting television shows such as What Not To Wear and hosting radio programmes like Soul Solutions on Radio Two.

When given the chance to work with long time friend and songwriter Brian Rawlings on a new album three years ago though, the Lewisham-raised singer grabbed it with both hands, though it wasn't easy.

"I went in the studio and started from zero," she says.

"Nobody wanted to sign me and I kept getting all this love from television and radio so I went there, I went where the love was."

Mica Paris

"I had been away for ten years and felt terrified because you don't know if you can still do it and you don't know what will happen.

"It took so long because I had to get it right, plus a lot of the songs I wrote I threw out.

"They were just a bit dark which I guess was because of what I was going through at the time.

"The first time I heard it finished I was blubbering like a little baby because it really spoke to me.

"The songs are just very powerful songs and you will understand when you hear them, it's about the lyrics.

"There's a line in Nothing But the Truth that says: In a world of lies and alibis, it's hard to tell a hero from a fool.

"It's one of those lyrics that just sums up the music industry for me.

"Born Again is an amazing song written by Paul Barry and James Morrison wrote Baby Come Back."

A decade is a long time for an artist not to release any new material, but Mica revealed she was only going where she was wanted.

"I couldn't get signed," the 41-year-old says quite openly.

"Nobody wanted to sign me and I kept getting all this love from television and radio so I went there, I went where the love was."

The crowd at Fairfield Halls next Thursday won't be short of a few familiar faces either and there might just be a guest appearance from her father, Trevor Wallen, a successful artist in his own right who exhibited work at Croydon Clocktower earlier this year.

"My dad is an amazing man," says Mica.

"He's an amazing artist, writer, singer and plays a whole load of instruments.

"He's one of those people that annoy you because he is good at everything.

"He is my biggest fan but I have yet to get him to sing at one of my shows, I keep trying but he always says no.

"My mum and dad live in Croydon and when I was little I might have done a year in a Croydon school," she recalls.

"But I was brought up by my grandparents in Lewisham because my parents worked and I saw them at weekends."

Mica Paris, Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, September 10, 8pm, £18.50. Call 020 8688 9291 or visit fairfield.co.uk.